Gemotions

The rejection email sat, a cold rectangle, on Maya’s laptop screen. Her shoulders slumped. She should have gone to office hours. The extra effort in the essay, the polish she’d skipped… those things suddenly felt like a gaping wound. The sunlight streaming through her window seemed mocking, highlighting the dust motes dancing in the air, a visual representation of the wasted opportunities.

She picked at the corner of the envelope, tracing the outline of the university’s crest with a fingernail. The glossy paper felt slick and impersonal. Outside, the cheerful chatter of the campus walkway was a sharp contrast to the hollowness in her chest.

A harsh cough escaped her. The cheap instant ramen, abandoned on her desk, suddenly looked less appealing. She’d spent so many nights hunched over the application, sacrificing social events, promising herself it would all be worth it. Now, the weight of those lost moments pressed down on her.